Volvo Offers Common Sense Auto Safety Advice: If A Free Automotive Repair Service Is Offered, Take It!

2 September 1997

Volvo Offers Common Sense Auto Safety Advice: If A Free Automotive Repair Service Is Offered, Take It!

ROCKLEIGH, N.J., Sept. 2 -- Some say nothing is free in this
world. Actually, the truth is that often the most important things come with
no price tag attached: sunshine, the love of family and friends, and repair
service on a vehicle that has a safety problem.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Under
federal law, safety problems must be remedied without cost to consumers.
Currently, 70 percent of the owners of vehicles with safety problems have the
recall work performed."
Where are those other 30 percent? Presumably, some forget about the
letter they received informing them of the opportunity. It's also likely many
customers don't consider the work significant enough to warrant a trip to
their local dealer. However, automakers (usually without the interference of
the government) make the decision to offer recalls and service campaigns when
there is a good reason, such as an unreasonable safety risk, an emissions
malfunction or a quality problem that can and should be improved.
"Manufacturers like Volvo take great care to provide the highest degree of
safety, quality and environmental care available," explains Harry Prince,
Warranty Manager for Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. "Sometimes, this
requires that the vehicle go back to the dealership briefly for some
corrective work. It is to the benefit of drivers and passengers to take
recalls and service campaigns seriously and have the work done ... and, after
all, it is free to the customer."
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concurs. According to IIHS
president Brian O'Neill, "It is very important that owners of vehicles in
which safety-related problems have been identified take those vehicles back to
dealerships as soon as they receive notice of a recall or service campaign.
Such notices should not be ignored or taken lightly. There is just no reason
to drive around in a vehicle with a safety-related defect."
Consumers can get up-to-the-minute information on safety recall campaigns,
or information on the recall history of a particular make and model of car,
truck, motorcycle or child safety seat by calling NHTSA's toll-free Auto
Safety Hotline at 800-424-9393 or 202-366-0123 in the Washington, DC area.
The Hotline can also be used to report safety problems.
SOURCE Volvo Cars of North America, Inc.